Penobscot Building (1905)

Last updated

Penobscot Building
Penobscot Building Detroit MI.jpg
Location131 West Fort Street
Detroit, Michigan
Coordinates 42°19′48.5″N83°2′53.2″W / 42.330139°N 83.048111°W / 42.330139; -83.048111
Built1905
Architect Donaldson and Meier
Architectural style Beaux-Arts
Part of Detroit Financial District (ID09001067)
Designated CPDecember 14, 2009

The Penobscot Building is the original 13-story building of the Penobscot Block complex in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is the first Penobscot Building, and one of three buildings of the same name in the later-constructed complex. It is located at 131 West Fort Street, within the Detroit Financial District.

Contents

History

The Penobscot Building was designed by Donaldson and Meier in the Beaux-Arts style, and incorporates brick and stone into its materials. Construction began in 1904 and was completed in 1905. [1] Its building was financed by prominent Detroit businessmen, including lumberman Simon J. Murphy, Sr.

Architecture

The lower three stories of the building are faced in limestone, the middle seven in brick, and the upper three in terra cotta. The façade is divided into five bays, each with a pair of double-hung windows. Corinthian column piers front the eleventh and twelfth stories, and the original building cornice has been removed.

Present day

The present day use of the office building is primarily for retail shops and services. It is a contributing property in the Detroit Financial Historic District, and on the National Register of Historic Places.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cadillac Place</span> Government offices in Detroit, Michigan

Cadillac Place, formerly the General Motors Building, is a landmark high-rise office complex located at 3044 West Grand Boulevard in the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan. It was renamed for the French founder of Detroit, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac. It is a National Historic Landmark in Michigan, listed in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guardian Building</span> United States historic place

The Guardian Building is a landmark 43-story office skyscraper in the Financial District of downtown Detroit, Michigan. Built from 1928 to 1929, the building was originally called the Union Trust Building and is a bold example of Art Deco architecture, including art moderne designs. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989, and is currently owned by Wayne County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ally Detroit Center</span> Skyscraper in Detroit

Ally Detroit Center, formerly One Detroit Center, is a skyscraper and class-A office building located in Downtown Detroit, overlooking the Detroit Financial District. Rising 619 feet (189 m), the 43-story tower is the tallest office building in Michigan and the second tallest building overall in the state behind the central hotel tower of the Renaissance Center, located a few blocks away. Although the Penobscot Building has more floors above ground (45), those of Ally Detroit Center are taller, with its roof sitting roughly 60 feet (18 m) taller than that of the Penobscot. It has a floor area of 1,674,708 sq ft (155,585.5 m2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penobscot Building</span> Skyscraper in Detroit

The Greater Penobscot Building, commonly known as the Penobscot Building, is a class-A office tower in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. Constructed in 1928, the Art Deco building is located in the heart of the Detroit Financial District. The Penobscot is a hub for the city's wireless Internet zone and fiber-optic network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Building (Detroit)</span> Commercial offices in Detroit, Michigan

The Ford Building is a high-rise office building located at 615 Griswold Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. It stands at the northwest corner of Congress and Griswold Streets, in the heart of Detroit's Financial District. The Penobscot Building abuts the building to the north, and the Guardian Building is southeast across Griswold Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cadillac Tower</span> Skyscraper in Detroit

The Cadillac Tower is a 40-story, 133.4 m (438 ft) Neo-Gothic skyscraper designed by the architectural firm of Bonnah & Chaffee at 65 Cadillac Square in downtown Detroit, Michigan. The building's materials include terra cotta and brick. It was built in 1927 as Barlum Tower. At the top of the tower is a tall guyed mast for local radio stations WMXD, WLLZ and television station WLPC-CD. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrysler House</span> Skyscraper in Detroit

Chrysler House is a 23-story, 325-foot (99 m) skyscraper located at 719 Griswold Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. The building is adjacent to the Penobscot Building in the heart of the U.S. designated Detroit Financial District. It is used as an office building, with retail space on the street level. It was originally known as the Dime Building but has carried numerous names over the years.

The Penobscot Building Annex is a 23-story, 94.49 m (310.0 ft) office skyscraper located at 144 West Congress Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. This portion of the Penobscot Block is now physically connected to the newer Penobscot Building Tower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penobscot Block</span>

The Penobscot Block is a complex of office towers centered on the 45-story Penobscot Building at the corner of Griswold Street and West Fort Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. The buildings on the block are named for the Penobscot, a Native American tribe from Maine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Qube (Detroit)</span> Financial center in Michigan, US

The Qube, also known as Chase Tower, is a 14-story high-rise office building in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is located on Campus Martius at the northeast corner of the Detroit Financial District. Designed by Albert Kahn Associates in the modern architectural style, it includes a great deal of marble, similar to other buildings in the nearby Civic Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of metropolitan Detroit</span>

The architecture of metropolitan Detroit continues to attract the attention of architects and preservationists alike. With one of the world's recognizable skylines, Detroit's waterfront panorama shows a variety of architectural styles. The post-modern neogothic spires of One Detroit Center refer to designs of the city's historic Art Deco skyscrapers. Together with the Renaissance Center, they form the city's distinctive skyline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Plaza (Detroit)</span> United States historic place

The Lee Plaza is a vacant 16-story high-rise apartment building located at 2240 West Grand Boulevard, about one mile west of New Center along West Grand Boulevard, an area in Detroit, Michigan. It is a registered historic site by the state of Michigan and was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places on November 5, 1981. Designed by Charles Noble and constructed in 1929, it rises to 16 floors and is an excellent example of Art Deco architecture of the 1920s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne State University Buildings</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Wayne State University historic district consists of three buildings on 4735-4841 Cass Avenue in Midtown Detroit, Michigan: the Mackenzie House, Hilberry Theatre, and Old Main, all on the campus of Wayne State University. The buildings were designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1957 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Vernor–Junction Historic District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

West Vernor–Junction Historic District is a commercial historic district located along West Vernor Highway between Lansing and Cavalry in Detroit, Michigan. The district includes 160 acres (0.65 km2) and 44 buildings. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Vernor–Lawndale Historic District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The West Vernor–Lawndale Historic District is a two-block commercial historic district located along West Vernor Highway between Cabot and Ferris Streets in Detroit, Michigan. The district includes 30 acres (120,000 m2) and 10 buildings. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Leland Hotel (Detroit)</span> United States historic place

The Detroit-Leland Hotel is a historic hotel located at 400 Bagley Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is the oldest continuously operating hotel in downtown Detroit, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The ballroom of the Detroit-Leland has hosted a nightclub, the Leland City Club, since 1983. The hotel is now named The Leland and no longer rents to overnight guests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jefferson–Chalmers Historic Business District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Jefferson–Chalmers Historic Business District is a neighborhood located on East Jefferson Avenue between Eastlawn Street and Alter Road in Detroit, Michigan. The district is the only continuously intact commercial district remaining along East Jefferson Avenue, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Terrace Apartments</span> United States historic place

The River Terrace Apartments is an apartment building located at 7700 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. River Terrace Apartments was one of the first two garden apartment complexes built in Michigan which used loan guarantees from the Federal Housing Administration, the other being Hillcrest Village in East Lansing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detroit Financial District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Detroit Financial District is a United States historic district in downtown Detroit, Michigan. The district was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 14, 2009, and was announced as the featured listing in the National Park Service's weekly list of December 24, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Center Commercial Historic District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The New Center Commercial Historic District is a commercial historic district located on Woodward Avenue between Baltimore Street and Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.

References

  1. Hill, Eric J. and John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture . Wayne State University Press. ISBN   0-8143-3120-3. P. 92.